Dingbat
by McGeesJabberwock
Summary: The sad, strange tale of a dog turned vampire.
1. Prologue

This story is loosely based on the 'Dingbat and the Creeps' segments from Ruby-Spear's 'Heathcliff and Dingbat' show, though I hope you don't have to have seen that show to understand this story (episodes are on YouTube if you're interested). This story takes place in a different universe to the cartoon, and thus utilises the characters in a different way. Also, there are scenes of bloodshed and death. Enjoy!_

* * *

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_The thick clouds were like a legion of spectres, brought together by their desire to banish the moon and the stars from the night. It was the type of night vampires loved, one that gave them a reminder that darkness will conquer all. Despite that reminder, the vampire crawling in the shadows wanted to enter what little light there was, in a tiny hope that it may bring some comfort, which he desperately needed. Perhaps it was because of this need that he had begun to walk on all fours, as he had done in the old days._

_As he neared his destination, the vampire felt the urge to stand on his hind legs again as he took a good look at where he was supposed to strike. A motel, complete with the obligatory blinking sign. All of a sudden, the light this night had to offer didn't seem so inviting. It was an invitation of sorts; this sort of place apparently held some underhanded, malicious humans, and it was up to him to bestow great power upon one of them, improving his in the process. Either due to the thought of this task, or just noticing standing on his hind legs, he took a look at his hands. Or were they paws? They resembled paws to an extent, except the toes were elongated into the shape of thin sausages, and there was the addition of an extra, fatter 'toe'. Even after he saw they could prove useful, he still couldn't see how he could get used to them._

_After taking a look at his arms, he raised them, and tried to use a power of his once again. Performing it should have been simple, yet it had taken him a while to change into a bat, as it was something he had not had a lot of practice with. When, after much mental forcing, he did take on the bat form, he ended up flapping around in random paths in confusion before making a jagged line to the hotel. The unfamiliar aroma the area held distracted him, which made him fall to the ground of the parking lot, and regain his previous canine form. Brushing dust off his fur, he looked towards the place where he was supposed to accomplish his task, the noises from within making his stomach drop. Then he thought that the sounds unnerving him was a good thing, as he was told the best victims were the evil ones, and hence he should delight in evil. Evil would make him happy, he was told._

_Would it though? This philosophy made the vampire think back to the times he could call 'happy' and whether they were 'evil' or not. Suckling at his mother while indulging in the security of her warmth and that of his siblings. Darting around in the sunshine-bathed park, catching the wet ball in his waiting mouth. The soft fingers of Dot running through his fur, and him licking her face as a note of gratitude. Could any of them be considered evil? None of them certainly felt evil, but there was still much about the world he didn't know, so perhaps there was some evil factor he overlooked. Who knows, maybe there would be a factor of _good_ to this little escapade._

_After taking a deep breath, he took on the form of a bat once again, and fluttered around the building, looking for an open window. It took a few roundabouts, but he found one, and stumbled through it, onto the wet carpet. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he changed back to his preferred form and looked for his victim. Looking at the haphazardly-made bed, he saw who he had 'chosen': a woman, fallen asleep with a cigarette in her hand. Good. Beautiful women, he was told, was among the best prey for his kind. If they were bestowed his abilities, she would be most effective, using her beauty to lure more potential victims. Nearing the women, he looked her over, and decided the others would think she was beautiful enough._

_Bending down towards the neck, he tried to accomplish the act as quickly as possible, and yet, as he gazed upon her sleeping form, he paused and took another deep breath. Telling himself he had to do this, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine a bone. A nice, juicy bone._

_He didn't dig his teeth into a slumbering human being. He was just playing with his favourite bone._

_This bone was different though. Biting it made it feel like a refreshing ocean was flowing through his gullet, rejuvenating and revitalising his body, bringing with it new life. After guzzling all he could, and wiping the excess liquid from his chops, he turned into a bat once more and flew away, this time more fluidly. He flew away from the motel and its disgusting odours, and towards a rather dense forest, noticing how comforting the darkness seemed at that moment. The darkness made him fly faster and faster, into the safety of the blackness that would conceal all, except for a pair of familiar glowing eyes. It was towards those eyes he was directed._

"_Bravo! You did a great job, Dingbat!" said the creature in the shadows, who had watched using a vampire power Dingbat hadn't quite acquired yet._

"_Thank you," said Dingbat, wringing his paws._

"_I'll be back for you tomorrow night, k?"_

"_Vell..." Dingbat scratched the back of his furry neck, then smiled, revealing his two elongated fangs. "Vell, okay then. Vatever you say, blah."_

"_Uh, yeah. See yas. Good job again," said the figure before turning into a bat himself and flying away. Dingbat stood and watched, with a smile on his face. Good job. Good job, Dingbat. What he did was right because he got praise for it. It can't be bad if you get praised for it. He didn't get praised for piddling on the floor, so that had to be bad. Standing on his hind legs and waving his front paws in the air had to be good, because not only did he gain praise for that, but a sliver of meat as well._

Good boy! Good Dingbat!

_Those words popping into his head at that moment made him cringe slightly, but, deciding he shouldn't dwell on the past, smiled again, this time so wide his cheeks began to hurt. Turning into a bat again, he looked around the forest to find his other friend, who had set up camp. After a bout of searching, he found Nobody the pumpkin, fast asleep. Nobody had made a blanket of sorts out of crumpled leaves. Watching Nobody peacefully slumber (he actually preferred Nobody this way) he wanted to join them in their languid dreaming, and lay by a tree. As much as he wanted to slip away, his body wouldn't let him fall asleep and he found himself twitching and squirming. Due to being active, he decided to forgo sleep and use whatever powers he had to guard his friends._

_It would be a good thing to do. And he was a good dog._


	2. Chapter 1

For the past few hours, Dingbat had done absolutely nothing but lie and stare at the sunshine. In order to make his life as simple as possible, he chose what to do depending on the weather. On a rainy day, he'd jump about the kitchen aimlessly and sometimes stare out of the window. On a windy day, he'd nudge a ball around with his nose. When it was a bright, sunny day, he'd lounge around until his beloved Dot came home.

Just then, his ears picked up the sound of the front door opening and he ran to the hallway, knowing it was either Dot or an unwanted intruder to deal with, barking slightly in case it was the latter. The protective barking turned to a joyful panting when he clearly saw it was Dot; he'd always recognise that lush, light hair tucked into a ponytail, those blue eyes behind those spectacles, those jeans and the way her face would light up when she saw him. Actually, the last factor seemed to be missing, as her face was twisted into a frown that seemed so out of place on her. Worry and confusion gripped Dingbat as he saw Dot just walk up the stairs without paying him any attention. Did she not want him anymore? What could be bothering her so much that she could ignore him? Slumping up the stairs, he intended to find out.

After being with this family for so many years and listening to their conversations and watching telly with them, he had picked up a bit of English, though he could never speak it. Though he did not enter the living room – a gut feeling told him it was not right to – he lay outside the door, eavesdropping. From what he could pick up, Dot and Marcus had had a bit of a falling out, and they had broken up. Dingbat certainly felt sorry for Dot about the ordeal, and yet there was a certain sense of inevitability about it. When he first had laid eyes on Marcus, he knew there was something not right about him. Something that made him growl and bark until calmed down by the soft fingers of his keeper. Over the short time he had interacted with Marcus, he had grown to tolerate him – he was his friend's boyfriend after all – but still had that tiny feeling of distrust. Now that the tiny feeling had been justified, he supposed he had better do whatever he could about it.

A while after Dot had explained the situation to Mum, Dingbat slowly crept in, his eyes wide and watery. Making his way to the despondent Dot, he tried to comfort her by giving all he could offer; a nudge of her hand with his muzzle and a tiny lick.

"Dingbat." Once again he nudged her hand, and this time, she rewarded him for it, rubbing his head and stroking his coat as if merely his looking at her had made all her problems vanish. Still trying to make her day just a bit lighter, Dingbat wagged his tail in hopes that his happiness would be contagious. Finally, he rose up towards Dot's face and gave it a huge kiss, staining her face with slobber but giving her a good giggle. "Oh, Dingbat." After that display of affection, Dot walked out of the room and came back, with leash in hand. The mere sight of the leash was enough to drive Dingbat into frenzy, bouncing around on the settee and floor until the leash was attached to his collar.

Normally on a hot day like that one, Dingbat would be complaining in his head about the sun beating down upon his furry body, but that little nuisance was forgotten in his attempts to cheer up Dot, just by walking along with her as she admired the scenery. Her mood seemed to be picking up and, despite the tiny nagging that there was still some sadness lingering in her, Dingbat felt he had done his job and done it well.

* * *

As far as Dingbat could tell, Dot had seemed to have gotten over that small incident, as the following week didn't seem to depart from the usual schedule. Wake up, get a morning fuss, have breakfast, lounge around the house for a while, have a walk, eat dinner, more fusses and ball throwing, then sleep, with Dot at the foot of her bed. There was a tiny change in schedule on Thursday, as Dot brought some of her friends over. Although Dingbat could never really remember any of her friends' appearances or names, he still enjoyed having them over, as they were always willing to pet him and shower him with praises. 'Good boy!' 'Good Dingbat!' Plus, friends coming over almost always meant telly. Telly, as his humans had called it, had fascinated him from the moment he had first seen it, even if he didn't really understand it most of the time. It was like a game to him: look at what was being presented, and then make sense of it.

That night's movie? _Zoltan, Hound of Dracula_.

"Look, Dingbat. It's about a doggy like you!"

Watching this telly, Dingbat had rarely seen his own kind outside supporting roles and moving drawings, so he felt that this was something he should pay attention to. The film involved 'vampires' like so many of the films Dot liked to watch. Since they were the subject of so many films he had laid witness to, Dingbat considered himself an expert on vampires. They wear capes, come out at night, have fangs, turn into bats, say 'blah' and other things like that and drink blood.

Drink blood. Watching the film, Dingbat fully understood what was going on when the vampire entered the woman's room, about to attack, only to be disturbed by the barking of a hound outside. Upon witnessing this fictional event, Dingbat could only wonder; what'd he do in the same situation? What if Dot were menaced by a vampire? Certainly he could try and rescue her, but what if the vampire attacked him too, as in the film? He loved Dot – she was the closest thing he had to a mother ever since he lost his real one – but would he be willing to risk his life for her? The girls laughing at the movie with cries of 'This is _so _bad!' only somehow made him all the more uncomfortable.

Then one of the girls threw a rubber ball and the dilemma was all forgotten.


	3. Chapter 2

Dingbat had continued to forget that movie throughout the next couple of weeks, and he, as well as Dot it seemed, had forgotten all about Marcus and the misery he brought as well. Things like that were trivial compared to the constant reassurance that he'd always have food to eat, a ball to play with, a stick to catch and a cosy place to sleep.

Comfort was something that Dingbat couldn't do without, which was why being taken away from his mother terrified him so. Leaving his soft, fluffy benefactor of nourishment and care, as well as his brothers and sisters, forever? It seemed like something no puppy should endure, until he was actually taken to his new home and showered with balls, sticks, mushy food and fusses. At this new home, he had a new mother, and he couldn't get along without a mother. Mothers brought comfort.

So why wasn't he feeling any?

Even as he lay at the foot of Dot's bed, and one look assured him she was sleeping soundly, a tiny little tingling in his gut kept him awake, making him look around the room. _Something_ was wrong, but he didn't know what. He tried to tell himself it was probably nothing, as he instantly remembered all the times he had found himself barking at the front door, only for the hidden fear to be the electrician or someone like that, which resulted in a telling off or a smacked bottom. The fear still seemed to be present, but Dingbat actually managed to refrain himself from barking, lest he face more disapproval. There were no sounds of doors opening, so he was sure nothing was coming.

The shadow outside the window stared at him.

Having spared no thought about that vampire movie between that moment and first seeing it, remembering it again filled Dingbat with dread as he remembered the conundrum. The creature outside would most likely be after Dot, so Dingbat couldn't let it have her, but the creature would probably attack him and then move onto Dot, so what was he to do.

He barked.

Barking was his natural response to situations like this, even if he remembered it was the same thing that brought on the fate of the dog in that film. He instantly stopped when he saw Dot groggily awakening, rubbing her eyes and turning towards Dingbat. One look towards the window and the shadow was gone. At this unintentional rude awakening, Dingbat instantly felt another type of fear, a lesser one than he had felt before but one still troubling.

"Dingbat..." grumbled Dot, still half-asleep, "What is it? There's nobody..."

She stopped. In a millisecond, she dropped off to sleep as if nothing had happened.

The shadowy thing was back, this time Dingbat could make out its outstretched hand. It looked just like the paw of a cat, only with more pronounced toes. They resembled fingers, yet still had pads at the end, a sight which Dingbat found difficult to look at. Despite his reluctance to lay eyes upon the creature, he still felt the need to save Dot, so he wrestled with his instinct to cower while whimpering and began another bout of barking.

The creature's eyes flickered.

Dingbat kept on barking.

The creature moved towards Dingbat.

Dingbat stopped barking.

"You're feisty. A good quality."

Its strange fingers reached out and stroked Dingbat's fur. What used to be a source of relaxation for Dingbat now made him whimper all the more, with him now fully noticing the creature's strange aura.

"It's not your owner I'm after, you know." Those words failed to provide relief for Dingbat.

The creature came closer, but Dingbat still looked away.

He didn't move though. He couldn't move.


	4. Chapter 3

The next day for Dingbat was...he didn't know how to describe it. Most of the time, it was a blur, interspersed with brief appearances of his owners looking down upon him. The most significant thing about that day was that he didn't move, or at least couldn't remember moving. One thing Dingbat knew about himself was that he often had energy he needed to get rid of, so he couldn't understand this new state he had found himself in.

Then he found himself digging.

A transition he couldn't get his head around. Seconds after he dropped off to sleep, he found himself digging, and he didn't even seem to be digging of his own accord. His front paws forced themselves to dig, and they dug upwards.

A while of digging later, and he found himself on the ground. Upon reaching his destination, he found his head begin to spin. He saw the world, but not as he usually saw it. One look at the trees, which he usually delighted in, and they seemed...different than before. What were once compliments to beautiful scenery had now become stretching, garish monsters. Confused, Dingbat stumbled about the place on his hind legs until he hit a stone of some kind. After blinking a few times, Dingbat slowly got used to his new vision and realised what was different.

Colour.

The more Dingbat looked at the new palette presented before him, the more he couldn't stop looking at it, despite the headache it had given him before. All he had to do was figure out where he was; he certainly couldn't remember visiting any places with loads of weird stones in the ground. The stones were the most significant feature of this backdrop, so he took a closer look at them to see if he could use them as identification.

Looking at the stones, he noticed that they were _talking _to him, and yet he didn't hear anything. Words registered themselves in his brain, and yet the stones had no mouths and no voices. Stranger still, all these stones were telling him were names and not much else. _Marmaduke_. _Riff-Raff_. _Wordsworth_. _Mungo_. _Hector_. _Cleo_. These names meant nothing to Dingbat, so he wondered why the stones were telling him about them. One of them, just above the hole he dug out of, said his own name, and he wondered why. Immediately, he assumed that the stone wanted him to fill the hole he just created, and did just that. The task completed, Dingbat suddenly realised he had done it using his front paws entirely.

The toes of his front paws had stretched into fingers. The hands of the creature.

Dingbat couldn't help but stare at his new hands, wiggling his fingers slowly. However, he didn't feel like dwelling on his new form and focussed his mind toward finding Dot and her – _his_ – family. Taking to all fours, just to be more comfortable, he darted out of the place with the stones to find his home, but he stopped for a moment to look at the entrance of the place, just for any clues. The entrance spoke to him as well, saying only two words: _Pet Cemetery_. Dingbat knew what a pet was, but not a 'cemetery', and he didn't really want to find out. Still on all fours, as uncomfortable as that now was, he searched for his house using his tracking skills, trying to ignore his _thirst_.

Dingbat was no stranger to thirst, as he often felt up lapping a bowl of water after a walk on a hot day, but the thirst he felt now...it made him hurt and ache more than ever. His stomach felt like it was being turned inside out, and his teeth seemed to sting his gums. In an attempt to fight it, he lapped up some water from a puddle, but while the pain soothed somewhat, it still remained. Seeing the futility in his sipping, he set off to look for his home once again.

His house was easy to recognise, so it didn't take long for him to pick out the right building from the crowd, despite the new wash of colour it now bore. Upon seeing his beloved abode, he ran straight for the door, and found himself on his hind legs again. It wasn't this that surprised him at that moment, but the fact that he was knocking at the door, like he had heard many humans do before. For a minute, he thought that he was beginning to turn into a human himself and wondered if that would be a good thing. At times he did find himself wanting things his owners had, like that 'computer' Dot was so addicted to, but overall enjoyed the simple life of a household dog. If that lifer meant walks and daily fusses, he never wanted to give it up.

The door opened in seconds, and Dingbat was greeted with the sight of Dad, the fat man who bought his dog food and even the occasional fuss. Dingbat even whimpered a little, just to make it easier for the man to recognise him.

The thirst stung harder.

Rising on hind legs just to stare into Dad's face, Dingbat did not see the joy he expected. A look of shock seemed to dominate the man's expression, which frightened Dingbat enough to dive down into the bushes. After doing so, Dad just closed the door. Dingbat didn't know whether to feel ashamed or relieved, as when he had been talking to Dad, he had been getting the urge to sink his teeth into him and drain out all his blood.

Blood. _Blood_. So did that mean he was a...vampire? That thing in Dot's room was a vampire and turned him into one? And what about her? Was she a vampire too?

"Poor Dot," he said to himself, and the fact that he just talked didn't surprise him in the least. In fact, it lightened his spirits a small bit, as he was given a way of rousing Dot's attention. After he made his way over the wooden fence, which proved easier than he thought, he stood in the back garden and looked up at Dot's window. As he saw what he was looking for, he began to notice how familiar sights like the garden and the house could seem vibrant and even exotic through his new vision. That thought just made him feel queasy again, so he focussed on getting Dot's attention.

"Dot! Dot!" he cried out. If he got her attention, he'd tell her about what he had been through the past hour or so, see if she was alright and maybe ask for a few pointers on how to use his new abilities. "Dot! Dot!" Ten minutes of calling and nothing happened. For a second, he thought he saw her silhouette appear at the window, but that was probably his imagination. After still getting no response, he slumped onto a garden chair and sighed. If only he could just fly up to that window and get her attention that way...

Everything Dingbat had done up to that point, he had seen humans do before, which added some comfort to his situation. What he had never seen a human do, however, was fly. Yet he had suddenly somehow taken wing and was fluttering around the house with no sense of direction. With the world turned into a strange kaleidoscope of colours and stretching shapes, he once again felt nausea sweep his now tiny body and thus crashed into a tree. Thoughts of flying were briefly forgotten to focus on the throbbing in his head, so Dingbat grew back into his normal body. Well, not his 'normal' body, but his new anthropomorphic one.

After taking this ability into consideration, Dingbat focussed on Dot's window, and took on his fluttering form with the thought of flying there. It wasn't a smooth journey, but he managed to reach the window that time. Still flapping in the air, he tapped on Dot's window to rouse her attention, and this time, he actually saw her coming.

She looked at him for a second and screamed.

"No, Dot! It's me, Dingbat!" said Dingbat, as he felt his thirst sting and his teeth throb harder than before. Dot just stared at him with wide eyes and walked out of the bedroom. "Dot!" This time, Dingbat threw his own tiny form at the window, making louder noises. He hoped this would break down the window, allowing him entry into his home, where he could be reunited with Dot and sink his fangs into her lovely neck and guzzle down her blood.

Merely considering biting Dot's neck shocked Dingbat so that he transformed back into his non-fluttering form, and landed on his back in the garden, which gave him nothing but a minor pain in the spine. His mission failed, he got on his hind legs and walked away. To think he actually wanted to attack her! Someone as beautiful and kind as her!

Maybe being beautiful and kind makes her blood taste better.


	5. Chapter 4

Waking up of his own accord, Dingbat slowly lifted the lid of the dumpster. Sleeping in garbage certainly didn't compare favourably to his basket back at home, but there was something about the whiff of greasy banana peels and half-eaten meat that seemed to soothe his nerves. It did nothing to soothe his thirst however, even if it wasn't as bad as when he was with Dot.

In the space he had now found himself in, there was nobody there, and Dingbat didn't know whether to take this as an insult or a relief. Still feeling tired, he decided to just lie around in the human's refuse and told himself he'd get up when he felt like it.

A few minutes of lounging and then a human did arrive. A rather tubby, bald human, with an empty bottle for Dingbat's dumpster. Although he had been previously wishing for companionship, this human, his smell being worse than the dumpster's, annoyed Dingbat somehow merely with his presence. How dare that idiot poke his nose into his territory!

Blood.

Dingbat leapt upon the man, silencing his screams by slashing his throat. Blood spurted out, and Dingbat licked it all up with his tongue, just like when something spilled on the kitchen floor. When he finished it all up, it felt like something heavy had been lifted from his gut, and he had just indulged in the greatest meal he had had in a while. The man's corpse, pale and with wide eyes, gave him slight chills, but Dingbat didn't feel like the man was all that important. He was not Dot, he was not a member of Dot's family, nor one of Dot's friends. In fact, that human gave off the same distressing vibes Marcus used to give off...

With Dot entering his mind once again, Dingbat began to wonder if he could actually help her with this new state he had found himself in. Instantly, he began to think of Marcus again, and how sad he had made her. Dot hated Marcus now, so why not get revenge on him? Wouldn't she be pleasantly surprised once she saw how her loyal dog redeemed himself in her eyes by removing what brought her nothing but trouble? During his life, Dingbat had seen quite a few cats lout and about, and despite how much he disliked their presence, it had interested him how they were always killing birds and bringing them back to their owners as presents. Humans seemed to hate birds, so killing them must have been an act of kindness.

So Dingbat was going to kill a little bird of his very own, and it would make Dot welcome him back with open arms.

* * *

After a late trip out to the cinema with his mates, Marcus walked back home, clinging to his coat due to the chilling night breeze. The movie was utter crap, but he still had a fun time, mainly due to the number of jokes about the film he and his friends came up with afterwards. With them around, the outing to the pictures held much more enjoyment then it would've done with...well, Dot.

Thinking back, Marcus admitted to himself that the only reason he started dating her was because she was hot, having a 'thing' for blondes. If he dated a hot girl for a little while, he was certain other hot girls would start wanting to date him too. Maybe one of those other hot girls would at least be more bearable. He even found constantly calling her 'Dot' rather irritating; what type of name was that anyway? A dot is what you end sentences with, not a name for a human being. Maybe it was just to hide the fact she had the same name as that girl from _The Wizard of Oz_, he didn't know.

It seemed a silly coincidence, but just as he was remembering that girl, Marcus swore he saw her dopey dog Dingbat following him, but he hoped it wasn't. He had never liked dogs, and something about Dingbat made him dislike them even more. Probably the fact he was either named after an idiot or a font, or how he always seemed to be barking and growling at Marcus, or how Dot seemed to like him more than her actual boyfriend.

Or maybe it was those piercing red eyes.

Quickly, Marcus turned away from the cur and towards his front door. After entering, mother asked if he enjoyed himself and he said 'Yeah' like he always did. After grabbing a quick bite to eat and a bit of random television, he made his way up to the bedroom, turned on the light and laid on his bed to read a comic, trying to get his mind off Dot and that dumb dog of hers.

Strange how the more he tried to forget Dot, the more he thought about her? Like when she wanted him to accompany her to that concert of that band she liked, but he wanted to go to Daniel's birthday party. "Oh, Daniel's such a wanker, forget him!" What did he ever see in her? Ironically, it was Daniel that later told him that he'd better off without a girl. Women were all the same: dependant, whiny and...

The window smashed open and Dingbat stood among the broken glass.

"What the –"

"You!" cried the dog, pointing at Marcus. The words coming from the dog's mouth, and the dog's lips moving in conjunction to those words, rendered Marcus' throat empty. What stood in his room was something that had no place in reality, but he knew that this wasn't a dream. A dog that stands on two legs and speaks exists only in fantasy, but this creature's nauseating smell and his hot breath assured Marcus it was physical. "You made Dot sad!" It was the mention of Dot that made Marcus question if he was dreaming or not.

He got his answer when he felt the claws dig into his neck.


	6. Chapter 5

Dropping from the window he came from, Dingbat clung onto Marcus' severed head as he landed safely on the ground. A smile that revealed his new, elongated teeth crossed his face as he admired his new trophy, a reminder that someone finally got the comeuppance they deserved. This train of thought was broken by a loud scream that came from the broken window, which made Dingbat run away, still carrying the head. Dingbat had known the way to Marcus' house as Dot had lead him that way once or twice, but after having run in a random direction, he found he had no idea where he was, and that his tracking senses were beginning to fail him. This place he had found himself in, he couldn't think of any other way to describe it than a generic neighbourhood that happened to be empty.

Except for one person.

A rather short human, wearing a trenchcoat and glasses, walked slowly down the pavement and Dingbat hoped this human would pay no attention to him, even hiding the head behind a nearby tree, so he felt a tingle in his gut, and a small bit of thirst, when that man stared right at him. Seeing the staring person made Dingbat do what his species did best: bark and growl, hoping he would go away. No such luck.

"I know what you are," said the man in a gruff voice. Just that sentence made Dingbat grab the head and try to fly away. "No, I want to help!" cried the man, but Dingbat had already taken flight. However, he still couldn't get used to this art, and was flying around in circles and getting himself even more lost. Having to carry the head with his hind legs while on this flight didn't help much either. Navigating through blurs of a neighbourhood still made him feel nauseated so it wasn't long until he crashed into a row of bushes, where he regained his larger form. At least he had lost sight of that strange man.

After hiding away for a couple of hours rest, Dingbat resumed his search for Dot's house and soon found it, but noticed that it lacked the welcoming familiarity it once did. Still, he knocked on the door and waited for Dot or her family. As he stood on the doormat, he began to imagine what Dot's reaction would be like. She'd smile, cheer, bestow upon Dingbat fusses and games like she used to, but he hoped she wouldn't scream. Her initial reaction to seeing him in this new form was just a misunderstanding, it must have been.

Soon, Dot, wearing a bathrobe and rubbing her eyes, opened the door and Dingbat smiled at her, hoping she would do so to him. "Hello, Dot! It's me, Dingbat!"

That scream again. That piercing, agonising scream.

"Why are you screaming? I did something for you, look!"

Another scream, louder and more excruciating than the last, escaped her throat, and she started to back away. Despite her seemingly disapproving of him, Dingbat entered her home, displaying the sympathetic eyes his kind was known to make.

"Go away..."

"But...but...I'm Dingbat! I'm your friend!" As he tried to reason with her, Dingbat noticed Dot had just looked in the direction of the mirror in the landing. Dingbat looked there too, and saw Dot's reflection, but not his own. Just as he was looking, Dot slugged Dingbat right in the face, causing him to run away, with the severed head still dangling from his fangs.

Running was all he could do at that moment. He had a slight urge to fly away, but decided against it, as it was still too confusing to him. Instead, he just ran, on four legs, just so he could tell himself he was still just a normal dog. As he ran, he tried to think back to the good times he had had with Dot, but having been rejected from his pack by her, even the good memories carried a sting with them.

What good had he been to his family, his pack? "Dingbat! Bad dog!" "You're gonna get a smacked bottom in a minute!" There were times when he thought they'd get rid of him for sure, but those fears were forgotten when soothed and given yummy dinner. Now his once beloved others threw him into the ground and screamed when he came back home.

So all he could do was run. Run down the empty streets before they become crowded with noisy people. Run clutching the trophy he gained from that hunt, hoping nobody else sees it? Run back to a dumpster, where the smells and stenches would soothe him, and nobody would criticize or yell at him. Rubbish was kind and relaxing, it would never turn on him or reject him. This time he chose another dumpster than the one, just so he'd have a different smell to experience, and perhaps so he could better hide from humans. At that point he wanted nothing to do with them, lest he have any more trouble.

Not only was rubbish relaxing, it was also _secretive_. As Dingbat lay on the bed of filth with Marcus' head by his side, he began to wonder what secrets this putrid pile could be hiding. _Hiding_. In an attempt to forget that earlier run-in with Dot, Dingbat lifted up a bunch of rubbish and pushed Marcus' head down further and further until it was gone. Gone. No more Marcus. No more humans. He was done with them.

So for the whole day, Dingbat did nothing but lie around with the garbage cans and the rubbish, while trying to strike up a conversation with the wriggly bugs that crawled around. Part of him had hoped he'd meet some other alley dogs, but no such luck. He'd probably fight with them anyway, and that wouldn't exactly get his mind off his thirst. The many people walking the streets didn't help either, though the sun beating down on his body had made him too tired to attack any of them.

When the sun began to set and the sky grew darker, Dingbat began to feel that same old burst of energy he used to when he saw Dot come into his kitchen, holding a leash. There was also that pesky thirst again, but he didn't want to satiate it, considering the trouble it had just caused. So he thought that perhaps he'd just go out exploring, ignoring the humans all the way.

Just as he was about to step foot out of the alleyway, he felt a tin can knock him on the head. Looking up, he saw a group of young humans, grinning at him. Normally in these situations, Dingbat would growl at the people who'd approach him, but something about this group made him feel uncomfortable. Their laughter as they hurt him some more, and the thirst beginning to rise did nothing to calm him. So all he did was cower and hope they'd leave him alone.

_Just go away...just go away..._

They did just that. Dingbat just mentally told them to go away and they did. Watching them leave, Dingbat sat and just wondered how he was able to that. As he decided that it didn't matter how he did it, just that he did it, part of him gave congratulations for not attacking any of them and another part brought forth a sense of disappointment for not attacking any of them. Trying to put aside those congratulations and disappointments, Dingbat began to think that if he could just think it, Dot would forgive him and welcome him back home. No, he didn't want anything to do with her now, not when she made his thirst sting so bad, not to mention the guilt she carried with her.

Trying to take his mind off his owner, he decided to embark on a little adventure through the city. While this part of town had the relaxing stench of garbage, it did not have the inviting, homely appearance of his old home. Dingbat couldn't tell why but the boarded up windows and the writing on the walls that gave the same uncomfortable air that group of youths did, and the cracks on the pavement and smashed glass reminded him of all the times he got scolded for accidently breaking his family's possessions. Just as he realised he was thinking of what he was trying to forget, he began to turn into the small, flying creature again, and flew about aimlessly until he came to a more inviting part of the town, attracted there by all the lights.

Lights that seemed somewhat familiar.

With a quick look around, Dingbat was faced with a horde of grinning orange vegetables, and miniature armies of children dressed as unusual things. Yes...'Halloween', wasn't it? A night he had endured for many a year, frightened by the weird apparitions that came to his door. The array of ghosts like living rag dolls and witches with plastic faces and hats like claws gave him shudders which only a fingers stroking through his fur could get rid of, but now, looking at the little humans with their parents looking over them, he knew they were little humans and not little goblins. Thus there was no reason to fear them.

Perhaps it was his new form that made him think this way; if it can bring the wisdom to make him speak and stand on two legs, it could give him the wisdom to tell monsters from people. He pretty much was a monster now anyway. Then again, he began to think that the reason he fled from Dot was because he didn't need her anymore. He had evolved past the need for her.

He was no longer a pet.

Once again, he observed his new paws, with the longer, padded toes and the little stub, actually testing them out by grabbing a pumpkin. Not just any pumpkin either; one sporting fangs as big as Dingbat's, that seemed to be smiling at him. A pet for Dingbat to call his own. As he took it away, Dingbat felt, in a way, he was liberating this little vegetable, or at least, taking it on a new adventure with him. He blew out the fire in its head, thinking it would find it uncomfortable. Holding the grinning creature in his front paws, Dingbat ran away from the neighbourhood, hiding from the sight of the children in disguises, until he came across a forest.

While it lacked the comforting garbage stench, being in this deep, dark forest felt more like home to Dingbat than any place in the city did. Clutching the pumpkin under his arm, he walked around until he found a comfortable patch, where both he and his new friend rested.

"Are you comfortable?" Dingbat said to the pumpkin, petting it. "We'll be the best of friends! We'll travel together, looking for new things!" While saying these, Dingbat gave the pumpkin the same gentle look Dot used to give him. "What's your name?" The pumpkin just lay still, grinning all the while. "I'll give you a name then!"

The first thing that came into Dingbat's mind was 'Nobody', as, well, the thing had no body. Listening to his humans, Dingbat had learned that 'body' was what heads rested on, so one time when Mum said 'Nobody's at the door', Dingbat became rather confused when he saw no sight of disembodied heads.

"Oh, Nobody," Dingbat said to the pumpkin, using whatever English he had learned from being around humans so long, "I love Dot very much. But I don't want to return to her. I mean, whenever I see a human, I feel I want to drink their blood, but I don't want to drink their blood. I don't want to drink Dot's blood, I love her. You don't have blood though." Dingbat lifted Nobody's lid just to make sure. "You'll be my new friend." After the tiny conversation, the pair set off into the woods, just to go exploring. They looked around at the trees bathed in darkness, and tried to hunt for some small animals, as Dingbat felt more comfortable about hurting them then humans. As the night began to dwindle, the pair tried to find a nice, secluded place to sleep, where nobody would find them. It would be their little secret spot that only they would know of. Comforted with the knowledge he had found a new companion, Dingbat quickly drifted off.


	7. Chapter 6

While sleeping, Dingbat had a slew of unnerving nightmares, but when waking up, could hardly remember anything about them, except for the fact that Nobody was in them. He couldn't recall what Nobody did in any of them, just that he was there. Fitting that Nobody was the first thing Dingbat saw when he woke up.

"Good morning, Nobody!"

_Pathetic._

"What was that?"

_I said pathetic. Because you're pathetic._

"I thought we were friends!"

_Why'd I want to be friends with a chowderhead like you? It'd ruin my reputation!_

"That's not very nice!"

_Yeah, I know._

Just typical. Another friend turning on Dingbat. "Why are you saying these things?"

_Aw, geez. How'd I put this? You're a lousy excuse for a vampire!_

What Nobody just said was strange; Dingbat never wanted to be a vampire, yet hearing he was a poor one hurt him.

_Oh, I'm Dingbat! I'm supposed to be a vampire but I'm an utter _fairy_! I'm way too nice to bite my owner!_

"Don't make fun of Dot! What's wrong with not wanting to bite her?"

_You're a vampire! Biting is what you do!_

"I can't do it to Dot...

_It'll turn _her_ into a vampire and she'll be much happier as a vampire!_

"I'm not happy!"

_Well, maybe you'd be happy if you actually tried being a vampire! I mean, when those kids were bullying you yesterday, you should have drained their blood the minute you saw them! But nooo! You let them just walk away to continue their silly human existence!_

"Well, after what I did with Marcus..."

_Screw Marcus! He deserved what you gave him! When you actually do something right, you feel all guilty about it?_

"But Dot! She.."

_But _Dot_! If she's so special, why don't you marry her? Seriously, bite her, drink her blood, turn her into a vampire! She'd understand what you did, and she'd probably be better at it then you! You get your beloved back, and she gets power and happiness! Everybody wins!_

What Nobody was saying cast Dingbat's mind back to that film. The dog became a vampire after he was bitten, he became a vampire after he was bitten, and Dot would become a vampire after she was bitten. Dingbat had undergone confusion and a hunger for blood as a vampire, so Dot would undergo those same things.

And what did Nobody know? His language was like that of Dad's when he was angry at Mum, yelling at her and causing her to be angry back. Those moments had caused Dingbat to crouch in his basket, thinking that they were angry at _him_ for some reason, and he was about to be thrown out into the streets. So why did this pumpkin think it could actually _persuade_ him?

"No, I can't!"

_You know what your problem is, Dingbat? You are no fun at all._

Hearing a negative comment like this made Dingbat whinge, especially as he remembered all of the enjoyment he and Dot shared when playing with a squeaky ball.

_Vampires are supposed to be fun. They're scary and scary is fun. So perhaps you should stop feeling sorry for yourself, and try being scary!_

"How do I be scary?"

_Lurk in the shadows in the dead of night and leap out at passers-by when they least expect it. Trust me, it's fun – my entire friggin' species was put on this earth to scare people! Oh, and since you're a vampire and everything, I'd think, and this is just me, mind, that it'd be appropriate if you used v's instead of w's, and said 'Bleh' a lot._

"I'm not sure what you're saying but I think I don't like you." Despite being a little tired from the light of the sun, Dingbat kicked Nobody and the latter rolled down a small mound, landing by the roots of a rather thick tree. This action against him and his thoughts only amused Nobody, making him laugh and laugh loud. As Dingbat began to walk away, he heard Nobody's laughter and shuddered to himself.

The sun of the November afternoon was not too bright and didn't sap too much of Dingbat's energy, but Dingbat still preferred to languidly lie by the shade of a tree and watch the clouds slowly crawl. Reclining, Dingbat actually thought back to what Nobody was telling him, about whether or not being a vampire could be 'fun'. Blood and drinking it certainly didn't seem fun to him, nor did the ever-present urge to bite Dot.

Didn't Dot find vampires fun though? That film that had disturbed Dingbat had her giggling, and so did other movies about vampires that Dingbat remembered out of the blue. It seemed part of his new form was an improved memory, and remembering all those vampire movies brought a slew of past experiences into Dingbat's brain – being told off, visits from Dot's friends – that just ended up giving him a headache. These pains in his head, as well as the guilt from all those times he was given a good telling off, just made him lie in the ground face first, hoping they'd end. He tried to get rid of these thoughts by thinking about nothing, and it actually worked – at least for the time being.

Getting off of the ground, rubbing dirt off his muzzle, Dingbat actually decided to take Nobody's advice and scare some people. He even tried to experiment, and talk in the way he was sure he heard a vampire on telly talk.

"Bleh! I am Dingblat and I vill blee very scary!" Just talking this way made Dingbat laugh out loud, which lightened his spirits somewhat. Now cheered up a little, Dingbat set off to haunt, not caring that he was walking on his hind legs while doing so. During the first few minutes of his search, he drove himself by entertaining notions of being a feared monster from a film, and if that could actually be enjoyable. However, the throbbing in his teeth and emptiness in his gut as well as the trickling stream that seemed to have some invisible stronghold around it, made the task seem longer and more painful than it should have been. The fact that there wasn't anyone in the woods didn't help either.

So he decided to give up.

Slowly he walked back to that secluded spot where he slept and, though he was feeling slightly more energetic from the sun going down, he just wanted to lie down for the remainder of the day.

_What did I tell you? You're a screw up!_

"I couldn't find anyone!"

_Have you tried looking _outside_ the woods?_

Dingbat was quite surprised he hadn't thought of that and hung his head sheepishly in Nobody's presence.

_Well, what are you waiting for?_

"I'm not..."

_You're not what?_

"I don't think I..want to go back to that town..."

_Listen to the fearsome vampire talk! So you're just going to lie around on your ass all night? You've got blood to drain!_

Hearing this reminded Dingbat of his throbbing teeth and his wrenching gut, and all he could do to respond to that was just slump down besides Nobody in defeat.

_There!_

"What?"

_I see someone over there!_ Sure enough, all Dingbat had to do was turn around and there was a human, going out for a walk. A closer look revealed that this human was a rather young female, that bore a slight resemblance to Dot. Remembering Dot only made Dingbat's hunger grow stronger and more painful.

_Well, go after her!_

"Ok, then." Dingbat then tumbled down a mound into the woman's presence, feeling his hunger slowly grow. The woman seemed a bit startled at Dingbat's sudden appearance, which gave Dingbat a small flavour of pride, as he had managed to scare someone. Still, he knew that wasn't enough to appease Nobody, so he leapt onto his two feet and yelled 'Bleh! Bleh!"

"Jesus!" cried the woman.

"Bleh! I'm a scary vampire!" With that, the woman ran away, leaving Dingbat to return to Nobody. "Well?"

_Well what?_

"I scared her, and it was fun!" Dingbat wasn't lying; seeing that woman dart away did cause him to giggle internally – though he didn't know why.

_It's a start...but maybe you could try working on being a bit more fearsome._

"More fearsome?"

_Come on! I have a reputation to protect here!_

Once again, Dingbat felt uncomfortable with being around Nobody, so he decided to walk off again, leaving Nobody by himself. While doing so, he almost hoped to catch up with that woman again, perhaps to find out what her blood tastes like. After running down a path, hoping the exercise would take his mind off his bloodlust, he saw the woman again, this time lying on the dirt path. An orange cat looked over her.

Blood.

"Hey!" The cat walked over from the woman and towards Dingbat. While feeling a slight urge to flee, Dingbat decided to stay and listen to what this cat might have to say. While he had always felt a dislike of cats, this was the first cat he actually understood. "So, I see ya gave this here lady the heebie jeebies. Not bad for a newb."

Unlike other cats, who made him want to bark the second upon viewing them, this cat rendered Dingbat unable to say anything.

"Hey, hey! No need ta be shy! We're bros here! I'm a vamp, you're a vamp, we gotta stick together!"

"How...how did you know..."

"I was sent to find you by my boss. His name's Reggie. He loves it when dere's a newb to be found."

Hearing this made Dingbat think back to that night when that shadow came into his room. From what he saw of the creature, it resembled a cat, and yet he had no instinct to yap at it or chase it. Now that instinct had come back. Dingbat barked and growled at this new figure who he had now encountered. Either he or 'Reggie' must have come into Dot's room and transformed him into this anthropomorphic mess.

"Whoa, whoa, easy, easy!"

"It's all your fault!"

"What? I didn't bite ya, scout's honour! Besides, you should be happy! You're about to embark on a new adventure. I'll be your guide, of course."

With that, Dingbat immediately began to cease his barking. It was pretty obvious that this vampire...cat...thing was not the same one that came into Dot's bedroom that one night; he was far too friendly to be that nightmare monster, and didn't have its voice or fearful aura. Also, he could hold some information that could help in hand ling this new form.

"Trust me, pooch, with a bit of practice, you'll be a great vampire in no time!"

"Well, you see, I'm still unsure..."

"And why is this, I might ask?"

"Well," Dingbat swallowed, "my friend...Dot..."

"Your owner?"

"Yes, my owner. I keep feeling like I want to bite her...but I don't want to..."

"You mean ya haven't bitten her yet?"

"No."

"Well, you see, the question isn't whether you should bite your owner, it's why haven't you? I mean, sure I was a bit noivous at first, but, let me tell ya, my owner's blood was like nectar. It made everything else I've ever tasted seem crap. Bite 'Dot' or whoever owns ya, ya won't regret it."

"Well, I'm still not sure..."

"Oh, a goody goody, are ya? Reggie doesn't like those."

"A goody goody?"

"Yeah. You know you want to suck your owner's blood, yet ya keep restraining yourself because you wanna be a 'good dog'. Sheesh, I bet ya sparkle too."

More words of criticism that made Dingbat feel like a dagger had been pushed into his gut. Once again, he bowed down his head, but this time, the cat put his paw on Dingbat's shoulder.

"Hey, you know I just said those things because I want us to be friends, ya know? Ta really show ya how this whole thing can be fun?"

"Fun?" A word that seemed to ring true. "Yes, I must admit, it was fun scaring that woman." To emphasise this point, Dingbat raised both his arms into the air and said, "Bleh! Bleh! I vill suck your blood!"

The cat let out a giggle, which sounded unnatural to Dingbat. "Never stop talking like that!"

"Like what?"

"You mean, 'like vot'!"

"Oh."

"Anyway, seems to me you need a bit more confidence. I'll take ya out for say, a little test run. Then maybe I'll take ya to see Reggie."

"I don't know..."

"Trust me."

Resting by a tree trunk for a second, Dingbat tried to think over the offer. If anyone had answers, it would probably be Reggie. However, it was rather likely that it was Reggie in Dot's room that night, but perhaps it would give Dingbat all the more reason to go. And what of the 'test run'? Dingbat thought back to that man he attacked back in the alleyway. He certainly didn't remember that incident being 'fun', but perhaps there was some fun element of it he overlooked. Vampires are supposed to be scary, being scary was enjoyable, so perhaps all aspects of being a vampire could be just as enjoyable. With that in mind, Dingbat decided to stay with the cat.

Before the test run, both Dingbat and his new friend sat down in a clearing, just to know each other better. The cat said his name was George, and talked for a while about his time when alive. "Y'know, it's like this new form really does give ya wisdom. It wasn't really 'til I became a vamp that I realised how much my old life sucked. Ya won't believe how my owners tried to hide my pills!"

"I liked my family..."

"Dat's just the nostalgia speakin'. One day you'll look back and say, 'What did I ever see in those losers?'"

"I can't!"

"Sure ya will! Trust me. Wit' my confidence builder, you'll be glad you left behind yer old life in no time!"

"Must I... bite?"

"Sure! I mean, how else are you goin' to hone yer powers and stuff?"

"I think I have powers..."

"'Course ya do, you're a vampire, ain't ya? Say, have ya done anything with these powers of yours?"

"I made some nasty people go away."

George chuckled with that annoying chuckle. "Truly you are the next Chuck Norris." Another brief chuckle, and George continued. "OK, when it gets darker, we go and find some delicious blood." The mention of blood made Dingbat's teeth throb again, causing him to groan. "Don't worry, few drops of blood and you'll be as right as rain."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Just a second." Leaving George by himself for a while, Dingbat rushed back into the woods to find Nobody again. When he did find the little pumpkin, Dingbat told Nobody all about George.

_Well, go with him. It'll be good for you, trust me._

Dingbat was pretty sure he could trust Nobody, so he decided to trust George. Grabbing the pumpkin from the tree, he ran back towards George and did so with a smile on his face. If he was going to make friends with George, he needed to display a positive disposition.

"'ey, what's wit' the jack o' lantern?"

Still smiling, hoping not to look stupid, Dingbat replied, "This is Noblody, my blest friend, bleh!"

"Ah, a bit of a good luck charm, eh?"

"Yes!"

"OK, before we go through wit' this, lemme just cover some basics. One thing to remember is that the worse the person, the better the feed. Bad blood is good blood. Plus bad boys make the best vampires! I should know."

Dingbat cringed as memories of 'Bad dog, bad dog!' entered his mind.

"Hey, come on! We all gotta be bad sometimes! Plus, it's way more enjoyable than 'being good'!"

Not wishing to offend George or anything of that nature, Dingbat replied, "Perhaps you're right."

"I'm always right, ya know. Now, I know a place where we can get some good blood..."


	8. Chapter 7

Life sucks.

That was the philosophy all teenage girls should believe in, so Dot felt as if she had a duty to follow that philosophy, although she was usually one to see the bright side. Necessary philosophy or not, a undeniable feeling that life really did suck.

Was it the murder of Marcus? No; while it did shock her, part of her was actually glad that the guy died. It was almost like the answer to a wish. The fact that he met his end by murder made it more of a delight, as it confirmed her theory that people would want to kill that creep. Hell, perhaps she actually killed him herself, which she had actually felt like doing at times. What did she ever see in him anyway?

Was it Dingbat's passing? Dingbat had been such a close friend to her, perhaps closer than even the humans she normally hung out with, and she missed the sound of his panting, his sloppy saliva and his enthusiasm. To mourn for a cur gave her feel rather silly, caring about a small dog as if it were human! Still, Dingbat understood her more than any person ever could, and seemed much more intelligent too.

Or perhaps it wasn't the fact that Dingbat died per se, perhaps it was his post-mortem appearances. Just after his demise, she swore she saw a strange hybrid of Dingbat and a gargoyle hovering outside her window, and then there was that night when he came to her door with Marcus' head. While certain those encounters were dreams, her mind still lingered on them, as they confirmed yet another theory; she was going mad.

She always thought she would end up going mad for some reason, and had tried to find ways of preventing it. Complaining about her problems on Myspace and chuckling at Nostalgia Critic videos lightened her mood and delayed the insanity for a while, and yet the sense of life sucking still plagued every minute of her existence.

At least Marcus got what was coming to him.

After a few minutes of trying to drown out her negative ponderings with a barrage of rock music, she heard the doorbell ring. Knowing that her parents hated getting the door when it interrupted their telly watching, Dot paused her song and walked downstairs to see who was at the doorstep.

Standing there was a short, portly man, dressed in a black trenchcoat, a matching hat and glasses, with a white moustache that looked like a caterpillar crawling across his lip. Dot almost closed the door, assuming he was yet another Mormon, but the man put his foot out to keep the door open.

"OK, what do you want?" Dot asked.

"Dorothy Welker?"

"Yes, do I know you?"

"My name is Abraham," said the man, lifting off his hat.

"And what are you here for?"

"I have heard of your boyfriend's murder."

"Get out," said Dot with a snarl.

"I understand you may not like to talk about it," continued the man, entering the house of his own accord, "but this is quite urgent. I was there at the night of his murder, and I saw who did the deed. You may not like who I think it might be."

Dot groaned, deciding to humour him for a while, sighed and asked, "Who did it?"

"Have you had a dog named 'Dingbat?'"

"Yeah, what..."

"It was your dog."

Just the mention of her dog seemed to trigger something within Dot, which made her push on the man's stomach as a way of forcing him out. The man stood still though. "I am being serious. If your dog is what I believe he is, you may be in great danger.

"I believe your dog is a vampire."

Hearing this could only make Dot let out a guffaw. She loved vampires, but only in contexts where they were fun and goofy, or in contexts where'd they make better boyfriends than Marcus. But Dingbat as a vampire? Sure his name included 'bat' in it and a combination of two of her loves should have sparked her interest, but something about it felt just like a sick joke. To mock a faithful friend of hers that had just passed away! Only one response came to mind:

"Oh, pull the other one."

"I am being serious." Those words made Dot chuckle slightly, considering they were being said with a voice that sounded like it belonged to an eccentric uncle. "After I witnessed the act, I searched for any recently deceased dogs in the local pet cemetery, and found that the grave of your dog had been disturbed. After I found out you had a relationship..."

"This isn't funny. _Get out_."

"Don't you know your town is built on a foundation of legends and the supernatural?" That was true; Dot had heard quite a few legends about vampires, which she thought contributed to her interest in them. "It has been a popular location for them, which is why I regularly come here to search for them before they retreat to the supernatural realm that birthed them."

All this warning seemed to do was make Dot all the more eager to push Abraham away.

"No, listen to me! When dogs become vampires, the blood they crave the most belongs to their owner! Dingbat may come here to drink your, or your parents' blood. I'm surprised he hasn't already!"

"Just go away!"

"When your dog comes back for you, the only way to put him at rest is to kill him. You must put a knife through his..."

"Go away!"

Abraham gave a cough. "Very well. I'm pretty sure you're capable of taking care of yourself anyway."

Then he left.

It was only after the departure that Dot's mother appeared in the hallway. "Who was that, Dot?"

With a sigh, Dot replied, "Nobody."

* * *

_See, what did I tell ya?_

Holding Nobody in his hands, Dingbat told the pumpkin, who was beginning to feel softer, about his 'test run'. Doing so made him feel proud about the deed, yet with a feeling of getting something off his chest.

"And, I think I like talking vith this voice, bleh!"

_Like the cat said, don't stop doing it!_

After the little conversation, Dingbat decided to go exploring, just to pass the time before his next meeting with George. The day being as overcast and drizzly as it was, the daytime didn't bother Dingbat, and he had a bit more energy than he had the day before. Leaving Nobody by himself just to have some alone time, Dingbat walked through the woods for a while before he tried to change into a bat again just to practice his flying. As much as he struggled, he found the transformation impossible at that time. This confused him, until he tried to forget about it by randomly running about a clearing he had found, just to remember his canine roots.

Then he sunk his teeth into a man's neck.

The minute he saw a man pass by, Dingbat felt he had no choice but to let the blood flow through his gullet, relishing the taste as he did so. Somehow the blood seemed to taste sweeter and more satisfying than the woman in that motel, but perhaps it was because the fact he had made the kill a solo effort gave him some pride. If only George were here...

The day passed rather quickly, and just as Dingbat was taking a rest, when the sun began to descend to wherever it goes, a strange but familiar flying creature flew up to Dingbat. In a second, it transformed into George, now donning a black cape and a bowtie.

"Hello, George."

"Just so ya know, you can't just go around biting people willy nilly."

That oh-so-familiar sense of shame returned to Dingbat. "Sorry."

George's smile returned quickly. "Hey, lighten up! You're still new to this whole vampire thing! Besides, tonight you're going to have some fun!"

"Vill I suck more blood?"

"Nah! We're going to see Reggie, remember? Not only is he a great vampire, he's also a barrel of laughs! He owns the best clubs!"

"Clubs?"

"Yeah, we vamps need a place to hang out, and they're real easy ta get to! And they're free too! That's the best thing 'bout being a vamp, you can just _take_ what ya want!"

"Vhy are you vearing that outfit?

"Ah, the club has a dress code."

"Vhere..." Before Dingbat could complete his sentence, a bowtie and cape materialised onto his body. "How..."

George held his right index finger to his mouth and blew on it with a smile. "Pretty neat, huh? Maybe I'll teach ya how to do it sometime." After the trick, George began to walk into the woods, and Dingbat followed him. The vampiric pair stopped at a tree, where George, after taking a quick look around, clawed a strange shape on a tree and began to say some words that just sounded nonsensical to Dingbat. The nonsense made Dingbat feel unsure once again, and he was about to turn around and leave until a glowing door materialised right in front of George. They both entered.

A stone hallway greeted Dingbat upon stepping through the portal, lighted by fiery torches clinging to the walls. Despite the flames, Dingbat felt a strong chill that neither his furry coat or his cloak could protect him from. George seemed to feel the chill too, yet he embraced it. At the end of the hallway stood a short creature, wrapped in bandages, which slowly turned its head towards the pair. George approached the creature, showing off his fangs. Seeing this, Dingbat decided to follow suit. The short figure nodded, and opened a door beside it.

Dingbat walked through the door, and was greeted by another chilling room made of stone illuminated by torches, this time larger and more occupied. The room was filled with myriad cats and dogs, all standing on their hind legs and with that stubby little digit on their paws. There were even a few other animals among them, including a couple of ducks, a squirrel scurrying between the others' legs and even a pig. All these creatures were dancing away to some frantic music that made Dingbat's feet move a little. Thinking it would please George and because it looked like fun, Dingbat joined the other cats and dogs, moving his arms and legs in random directions in a way that he thought would constitute dancing.

George watched Dingbat's dance, and laughed a bit, which made Dingbat wonder if that was a good or a bad reaction. "Have some fun for a while. I'll tell you when Reggie's ready."

Just a few more seconds of dancing, and Dingbat got tired of it, so he decided to explore this new scene some more. As he did so, he noticed another dog walking away with a glass in its hands, and Dingbat was reminded of when he'd see his family holding glasses of water and how thirsty that would make him. Walking away from the dancing people, he came to a bar, looking for something to drink. Something other than blood, perhaps.

Behind the bar stood a collection of bones. An upright, mobile skeleton, with eyeballs poking from its sockets, cleaning the bar. While Dingbat had a taste for bones, this figure made him more curious than peckish. "Hello," said Dingbat.

The skeleton looked in Dingbat's direction, which made the latter feel disturbed, having those unblinking, bulging eyes staring in his direction. "Well, hidey ho yourself. What'll you be having?"

"I don't know."

"There's a menu to your right." Dingbat turned around and saw a small piece of paper attached to a wall, which spoke to him in the same way the gravestones did. It was something he'd never get used to.

"Can I have some water?"

"Okey dokey! Hey, you're a newbie arentcha?"

"I think so."

"You know, I kinda like you guys. You're nicer than most of the jerks that come here."

_**Nice**__ dog._ The word 'nice' always used to lift Dingbat's spirits in his breathing days. But George didn't like nice. Reggie didn't like nice. Nice guys finish last, George said. Being nice is no fun. Even though Dot liked it when he was nice. Mum and Dad liked it when he was nice. Dingbat liked it when they were nice.

"You see," the skeleton continued, "I like meeting you guys during your first days when you're still confused and you miss your owners. But a week and two, and you're like 'Rargh! Blood!'"

"I think I like blood..."

"Everyone here does. I can't stand the sight of the stuff!"

"Then why are you here?"

"Oh, I'd love to get outta here. In fact, I'd like to be an acrobat. But I'm pretty much stuck working here cause that's what I was brought to life to do."

"Brought to life?"

"Yeah, did nobody tell ya? The more powerful vamps can raise the dead and make them their servants. It's nice to be alive again, but the jobs are almost always a drag." Hearing this made Dingbat think what it would be like if he could make these bone-creatures his servants, bringing him food and toys whenever he demanded it. Sometimes he wished he could control Dot; she was always 'too tired' when he wanted to play the most. However, seeing how troubled this figure seemed, having such a gift would most likely carry some guilt with it. As if he hadn't enough of that.

"Would you like servants?"

"No. I'm an independent guy."

"And...you don't like being one."

"Oh, it's okay. I get a nice conversation once or twice, plus I think this place has good atmosphere."

"I like the atmosphere here too," said Dingbat, warming up to this formation of bones. "What's your name?"

"Folks call me Spare-Rib. Funny name, eh?"

"Yes."

"What's your name?"

"Dingbat."

"Fancy that. We both got funny names! Maybe we should be friends!" Spare-Rib and Dingbat then shook hands.

"You're the nicest person I've met around here," said Dingbat. However, he slightly regretted saying those words when he saw George walk up behind him. "Vell, except for you, George, bleh."

"Flattered," said George with a smile.

"Oh, Spare-Rib, this is my friend, George."

"We've met," said Spare-Rib, "Between you and me, he ain't the type of person you'd want him to be friends with. Ha ha ha."

Rolling his eyes, George said to Dingbat, "C'mon Dingbat, Reggie's ready!" The mention of Reggie's name made Spare-Rib's eyes bulge even more. That sight troubled Dingbat, but he tried not to show it as George led him through another door.


	9. Chapter 8

"If ya want my advice," said George, "don't try and have a conversation with skeletons. They're _boring_."

"Sorry."

"Another word of advice: stop saying 'sorry'. Reggie doesn't like that."

"OK."

"I'm certain he'll like that accent you do though. Talk to him with that."

Once again, the cat and the dog walked down another corridor with torches and stone until they passed more bandaged creatures and entered a more lavish room, lit by bat-shaped candelabra. Red curtains and gold tapestries contrasted with the dark grey walls of the chamber, and tall windows revealed a black and purple night sky. In the middle of the room lay another cat with hands, this one larger than George and bearing white fur, which contrasted with his black cape and top hat. Two other cats sat by him, these being female, stroking his fur and tickling his face, much to his satisfaction. Upon seeing Dingbat, he gestured the women away, and turned his attention towards the dog, smirking as he did so.

The smirk, combined with the icy blue eyes, seemed to freeze Dingbat's insides, but he tried to swallow his fear by striking a pose. "Bleh! It is I, the mighty Dingblat! You vant to see me, bloss?"

A snicker escaped from the fat cat's throat. "Talk like that never ceases to amuse me." In an instant, Dingbat recognised the voice. This cat...this creature...it was the shadow in Dot's room. Those claws, those hands, they reminded Dingbat of the fear he felt that night.

"Take a seat." Instantly, Dingbat rested on the nearest chair he could find. It wasn't until he sat on it that he noticed the giant two-headed bird leering over him. Not wishing for the scene to become more uncomfortable, Dingbat turned towards Reggie again.

"Ah yes, I remember you. It was just a few nights ago when I made you what you are right now. So now you are in the presence of the one who bestowed your condition onto you. So how do you feel? Angry that I separated you from your beloved family? Sad that you're now a monster rather than an overly adorable puppy? Or happy that, because of yours truly, you actually have half a brain?" Dingbat didn't know how to feel. He wanted to be scared, but at the same time, didn't want George or the white cat to see him afraid. He wanted to be angry, and yet he couldn't find any anger.

"What you should feel, old chap, is _proud_. True, human vampires have gained quite a reputation, but vampire dogs like you..." Another smirk. "People used to cower just from hearing their _bark_! When the humans would see your kind, they'd _pray_ for a human vampire! In fact, you know the old legends about 'werewolves'?"

"Why...vhy did you blite me? I'm not a ba...blad dog, and I thought you vanted blad people. Bleh."

"No, you're not a bad person. I wouldn't call you good, but you're not bad. Still, you do have some admirable qualities, like obedience, and you definitely have potential. All you need is, how shall I say, a bit of fine-tuning."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Did you not come to me because you're new and want help? That you're still too afraid to attack your owner and just a need a bit more confidence to do so? You are not the first new recruit who has come to me for that purpose, and I'm certain you won't be the last. I sense that you're still unsure about your new condition, and to that I say, look at George." Dingbat did as he was commanded. "You like him, don't you? He's your friend?"

"Yes."

"To think, had I not infected you two, you'd be probably barking and hissing at each other like idiots. The union between felines and canines through the pursuit of evil...so beautiful."

"Evil?"

"Yes, evil. A necessary part of life, and one that requires people to spread it, namely _our_ people. I see the humans constantly forming organisations to create good, finite as it may be, so why can't we form organisations to create evil? For what is life without it? A sterile farce based on stale routine? I mean, when people realise what evil there is in the world, they actually get off their asses just to do something about it. The sad thing is, most humans like to pretend all is right with the world so they have an excuse to do nothing. That's why it's up to us to show them what evil is actually out there, so they do something about it. A lazy human is a boring human. And the reason we keep humans around is because they're fun. That, and so they can _breed_." Reggie licked his lips at the utterance of that last word.

"I don't want to be evil..."

"Don't you now? This reminds of a fellow vampire cat from way back. Harold, I believe his name was. Legend says that for his first decades as a vampire, he lived alone and depressed at what an outcast he had become. He'd get chased with pitchforks every other week, and when he couldn't control his bloodlust, he'd cry in a desolate corner. Then one day he thought to himself; if the people thought he was a monster, why not just embrace it and be a monster? He was never happier."

Being evil makes you happy. That's just what Nobody and George said. Now this 'boss' said it. If they all believe it, surely it must be true. Right?

"I used to be like you. Yes, I, the great Reginald, a lowly rookie. The woman who owned me was so kind I hesitated in relieving her of her blood, but when I did so, I was glad I did."

"George said that too."

"Does that not give weight to my words? It began with that, and then I drank more blood – the best blood – and gained enough power to be feared, and to gain_ all this_. Just think, you could have all this as well."

"If I suck enough blood?"

"Not just sucking blood. While that does help me maintain and improve my abilities, there are other evils in this world that can be done. So many of my subjects have tried to reach my level, but have failed because they didn't have the malice, they let themselves get killed in the process or they just didn't have the balls." Reginald then stared at Dingbat. "You killed your owner's boyfriend, didn't you?" Dingbat nodded. "Such wasted potential. That act could have brought you such infamy were it actually performed with malicious intent. Sometimes that's the only way to do things. Besides, had you drained his blood and not cut off his head, he could have made an excellent addition to our brethren."

"How do you know about Marcus?"

"Experienced vampires like me _know_. As we grow in power, we can distinguish between the true vampires and those who have no hope. And I know that while you may be pathetic now, you have _potential_. You can _rise_."

"What should I do?"

"It's like I've been tellin' ya," said George, "Jus' bite your owner."

"Indeed," continued Reginald. "The minute you bite her, that is when you see the true horizons. That's another reason why I transformed you. Not only do you have potential, but so does your Dorothy."

Hearing her name made Dingbat leap from his chair and towards Reginald, before suddenly freezing on the spot. All that act of attempted violence brought out of Reginald was another amused snicker. "I enjoy the enthusiasm, but you best not use said enthusiasm on yours truly." After saying that, Reginald rose on his two hind legs, with that two-headed bird perching on his shoulder. Dingbat said nothing. "The night is still young, Dingbat. Go out and find your 'Dot'. Make her one of us. She'll appreciate it."

"I'll even help ya if you want," said George.

Dingbat walked through the door and back into the club, feeling confused and fettered. What Reginald had told him didn't really make any sense, and yet he had a strange sense that he had been told things he knew all along. This train of thought was interrupted by Spare-Rib, holding a glass of water.

"You forgot your drink," said Spare-Rib, and Dingbat guzzled it down. "What was...Reginald talkin' to you about?"

George interrupted Spare-Rib. "Dingbat can't talk with ya; he's got work to do."

"Oh no. He's not going to drink blood, is he?"

"Yep."

As George led Dingbat out of the club, Dingbat turned towards Spare-Rib, focussing on his expression. Despite his face being a skull, Spare-Rib showed a look that made Dingbat want to get out of George's clutches.


	10. Chapter 9

After the formation of another portal, Dingbat and George landed back in the forest again. As George dusted himself off, part of Dingbat wanted to run away and yet his body insisted on staying. George wanted him to do this. Nobody wanted him to do this. Reginald wanted him to do this. Did Dot want him to do this? Reginald and George and Nobody said she would.

"Now, this Dot, where does she live?"

Once again, Dingbat used his tracking senses to find his former home, but this time, he had someone following his every step. He would have turned into a bat to make the search quicker, but decided against it as those transformations were still too confusing for him. The streets were empty that night, but the pair still found themselves constantly hiding behind boxes and other objects, just in case ("It's good that some humans don't know we exist," George had told Dingbat, "Makes the whole thing feel kinda...exclusive, ya know?")

As the pair found themselves getting closer to Dot's house, they hid one last time, behind a bush. After a couple of minutes among the leaves, Dingbat poked his head out to make sure the coast was clear.

The man had returned.

That strange man, the one with the glasses and the moustache and the coat, from that night he killed Marcus. The presence of the man reminded Dingbat of that night, and thus reminded him of his memories. Scenes from Dingbat's life and his time among the undead flickered quickly and constantly, making Dingbat stumble about dizzily, while pounding his head to force the memories away. As the memories began to drift off, Dingbat saw a cross shoved right in his face that made him feel even queasier.

"Don't be afraid," said the man, raising a knife, "this is for your own good."

This was a bad man. More memories appeared as Dingbat remembered bad men coming to his house. Back then, Dingbat didn't cower in their presence. He'd let loose a cacophony of barks, so those men understood that this was his house, his territory and they had no right to invade it. So Dingbat let free those glorious barks, which seemed to strengthen him enough to knock the cross right out of the man's hand. Then...

"Bleh! You dare try to trifle vith the great Dingblat?" He had begun to enjoy speaking like that, especially now that it brought the man to the ground. Seeing this fat idiot as his mercy made Dingbat wonder if he should kill him, hence sparing vampires his attitude towards them and gaining him a little of Reginald's power.

"Hey! You're getting good at this!" said George to Dingbat, before turning to the stout man. "OK, Abe, take five!" So the man stood up and walked away.

"What?"

"Oh, Reggie loves these little tests. You'll be surprised how easy it is ta get humans to work for us."

"Humans...working for us?"

"Yeah. We get some to dress up as vampire hunters to test newbies, and to go to potential victims. People who talk to these here posers either fear us more or believe in us less, making our attacks unexpected and therefore more fun! There are real vampire hunters, but they're all dorks."

"I see..."

"Well, let's get back to findin' ol' Dotty's house, eh?"

"If you don't mind, I'd rather go on my own."

"Good for you! Ya're learnin'!"

"Yes..."

* * *

What a day, what a day. The coppers just came over again, with more news about Marcus' death. His head was found in a dumpster. Dot didn't want to hear any more news about Marcus, especially not of that calibre. The fact that the dumpster was quite close to her house made her think that perhaps she murdered Marcus and just didn't remember doing it somehow, and if that was true, she was unsure whether to be shocked or proud.

Happy or sad about Marcus' death and how it happened, Dot still found it hard to sleep. Not that this was necessarily a bad thing, as some of her most profound thoughts had come about when rolling about in an attempt to make herself more comfortable. Even so, she still felt the need to grab a comic and a bag of M and M's, while she lay in bed, just waiting for herself to drop off.

Another knocking at the door. That sound had begun to gnaw at her nerves as of recently. She opens the door, there's the police. She opens the door, there's some crazy vampire-hunting guy. She opens the door, there's her ex-boyfriend's severed head. Therefore, she felt the safest thing to do would be to remain in bed, chomping down on her soothing M and M's, until the knocking went away.

She didn't.

The only way to make the knocking stop was to answer the door. Mum and Dad weren't going to answer it, so Dot put on her nightgown and walked downstairs, still eating those chocolates. However, just before opening the door, she felt the urge to walk to the kitchen, and bring out a knife. A knife. Then she opened the door without giving the knife another thought.

Dingbat. Dingbat again. While standing on two legs, and with a strangely human expression on his face, it could be no other than her deceased little dog. Unlike the last times they had met though, she did not scream, probably because she had been _expecting_ him. Her clutch on the knife tightened.

"Hello," said Dingbat in a voice that felt jarring when coming out of a dog's mouth. While feeling that she should get out the knife or slam the door, Dot decided to talk with Dingbat. This was still her dog, her smartest and best friend.

"Are...are you really a vampire?"

Dingbat nodded, opening his mouth to reveal the two sharp fangs he had now gained. This confirmation made Dot want to laugh. The thought that some senile fat guy was a hundred percent correct about her dog being a vampire of all things! Plus, she was now officially the only girl in her circle of friends with a member of the supernatural as a pet. Emily would be so jealous.

She _was_ going mad.

"Dot," said Dingbat, with tears forming in his eyes, "I'm so sorry..." After he slumped his head, Dot put her hand on Dingbat's shoulder and led him in, once again looking at the mirror. Sniffing, Dingbat tried to continue, "They keep telling me to...to attack you...but I'm not sure I can do it...I'm really sorry about Marcus..."

"Who are _they_?"

After sitting on a setee, Dingbat regaled Dot with everything that apparently happened to him. The murder of Marcus, meeting Nobody, George, Spare-Rib and Reginald, the thirst and the attacks, and his purpose in returning to his former home. Hearing the story made Dot want to laugh, and at the same time, she felt laughs turn to dust as Dingbat described the attacks he made. The story seemed more likely than it should –surely if there are vampire dogs there should be vampire cats and maybe even talking pumpkins – and if it was true, then the world was more messed-up than she ever suspected it of being.

"So, this...this 'Reggie' cat actually _told_ you to be _evil_?"

"He said I'd like it..."

"That's _fucking retarded_. You actually _believed_ him?" Dot began to look away, still hoping to herself that her beloved dog wasn't a murderer.

"I don't know...."

"You actually fucking _killed _people..."

"I had to, I just had to!"

Dot knew that this wasn't a dream now. She was actually speaking with her dog who had become a vampire. A monster, a murderer and a furry was actually in her house. Now her cute little pet, which she used to take comfort in was now evil, and she no longer wanted anything to do with him. "Get out."

She waited for him to leave, still covering her eyes. After gathering enough courage, she turned around, and saw that Dingbat hadn't moved. "No." He wasn't crying anymore.

Dot looked at the knife, then towards Dingbat. That's it. She'd end this once and for all. That wasn't her happy little dog, it was some bloodthirsty...she didn't really know what it was. She raised the knife.

His teeth dug into her neck.

Her dog clung to her with claws that seemed to be sharper than ever, slowly draining her blood from her body. She weakened with each second, and yet it felt like she was being_ liberated_. As the world grew black, she felt her mortality slipping away from her, which was such a strange relief...

A blur, of being weak and immobile....

The digging followed next, a frantic, instinctive movement of her now-clawed hands through mounds of dirt, and, despite lacking breath, a need for the air outside. In seconds, the grey sky greeted her, as did Dingbat and his new cat friend. A smile lit both their faces.

"You did good, Dingbat, old friend."

"Thank you."

The cat then turned its attention towards Dot, and she had no option but to listen.

"Hello, Dot. Have I got a treat for you..."

**THE END?**


End file.
